I stood outside in my garden, plucking the dried lavender blossoms off a favorite rhododendron, as the inspiration for Full Life Programs took root in me. Reaching, converging my fingertips with the notches on the stem, my forefinger and thumb pressed together to release the spent blooms…one after another…after another, I reflected on the situation of an acquaintance. This woman had thrived in a circumstance I was then working to achieve -- until a stroke – out of the blue, not affiliated with any questionable lifestyle choices, not age-related – landed her in an opposite circumstance – unable to care for herself without assistance, abruptly snatched from the new career she had achieved with much persistence, brilliance, and success. Nearly paralyzed on one side, she had no choice but to move to a facility that could provide her assistance – out of touch with her colleagues, friends, acquaintances – the relationships that had given meaning to her life.

To my mind, this was not acceptable. It didn’t fit with the rules of the universe, as I saw them – so spontaneously my mind began imagining what kinds of interaction opportunities where she could blossom again, sharing who she is, laughing, empathizing, honoring. Without any conscious attention on my part, this persistent voice spoke inside me —and returned, again and again, over many years, softly sometimes, more insistently other times, adding new visions, refining others, starting completely new branches. I decided to listen to it – and honor the voice as a calling that the combination of circumstance, opportunity, and my openness could support into a supportive service to enhance the quality of life of adults in assisted living.